Vehicle window mounting



Sept. 10, 1968 R. L. RENTZ 3,400,971

VEHICLE WINDOW MOUNTING Filed Sept. 9, 1966 AT TO RNEIY United States Patent 3,400,971 VEHICLE WINDOW MOUNTING Robert L. Rentz, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 578,367 1 Claim. (Cl. 296-84) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vehicle body window opening includes a lower wall having a center crown portion higher than the outboard end portions. Water soluble spacer blocks are mounted on the end portions to support the vehicle window while the adhesive between the inside edge of the window and an adjacent wall of the window opening is being cured. The blocks are gradually dissolved by water which collects on the lower wall.

This invention relates to the mounting of vehicle windows and more particularly to the mounting of fixed ve hicle windows such as Windshields or backlights on vehicle bodies.

It is well known to secure vehicle windows within body window openings by heat curable adhesives. Prior to the time that the adhesive is cured, the window is supported within the window opening by spacer support blocks which are located between the lower edge of the window and the lower edge of the opening. The lower edge of the opening is conventionally defined by a body wall which is curved both transversely and longitudinally forwardly of the body, and has the center portion thereof located at a greater height above the horizontal than the outer end portions thereof. The spacer blocks are located at the outer end portions of this body wall and seat against both this wall and the other body wall to which the window is adhesively secured.

It has been found in practice that water collects along the one lower wall of the opening and that the spacer blocks prevent this water from flowing outwardly of this wall and of the body. Rust problems can arise due to this collection of water.

This invention solves this problem by forming the spacer blocks of water soluble material. The spacer blocks are only necessary until the adhesive is cured and thereafter are not needed to support the window within the opening. By forming the blocks of water soluble material, the blocks can either be dissolved shortly after the adhesive is cured or will be gradually dissolved in service so that there is no impediment to the flow of water along the lower wall of the opening. Thus any rust problems are effectively prevented.

The primary feature of this invention is that it provides an improved means of mounting fixed windows on vehicle bodies. Another feature of this invention is that the mounting means includes spacer blocks for temporarily supporting the window along the lower edge portion of the opening, with the blocks being formed of a water soluble material so as to be dissolved when no longer needed.

These and other features of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial rear perspective view of a vehicle body having the backlight thereof mounted according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 22 of FIGURE 1; and

Patented Sept. 10, 1968 FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the structure after the spacer blocks have been dissolved.

Referring now to the drawings, a vehicle body 10 includes a rear body opening 12 which is closed by a backlight 14. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the lower edge portion of the opening 12 is defined by a first flange or wall 16 and a second flange or wall 18 of the tulip panel 20. conventionally, the wall 16 is curved both longitudinally and laterally of the body and has the center portion thereof located at a greater height than the outer or end portions thereof. The side and upper edge portions of the window opening are defined by flanges of various body members in a conventional manner to provide both first and second walls similar to those provided by the flanges 16 and 18. Body structure such as this is conventional and well known in both current and past production vehicle bodies and, therefore, it is not believed that any further description is necessary to an understanding of this invention. It will be understood, of course, that the first and second walls which define the opening can be formed in any manner since the window mountings of this invention can be successfully practiced to mount both backlights and Windshields on a vehicle body regardless of which body members provide the walls of the window opening.

In present practice, the bodies are completely painted prior to the installation of either the windshield or the backlight. Since the painting operation generally includes several spraying and sanding steps, the installation of the fixed vehicle windows is best done after the body is painted.

After the body is painted, a pair of spacer blocks 22 of generally rectangular shape are secured to the body walls 16 and 18 along the lower edge portion of the opening 12. The blocks 22 may be either individually cemented to the walls 16 and 18 by means of suitable cements, or a layer of curable adhesive material may be first applied to the walls 16 and 18 along the lower edge portion of the opening and the blocks embedded therein. In the specific embodiment shown, a block is located at each end portion of the lower edge of the opening 12. I

Prior to installation of the backlight on the body, a continuous uninterrupted strip 24 of rubber or other resilient material having the general outline or shape of the backlight is cemented to the inner surface thereof. The strip is spaced inwardly from the edge portion of the backlight a sufiicient distance so that a bead of heat curable adhesive material may be applied to the inner surface of the backlight between the strip 24 and the edge portion. The bead of adhesive material is of generally triangular, cross sectional shape and normally extends from the inner surface of the backlight a greater distance than does the strip 24.

The backlight is mounted on the body by resting the lower edge portion thereof on the blocks 22, with the backlight being located generally angularly and outwardly of the backlight opening, and then rotating the backlight inwardlly of the opening until the outer surface of the strip 24 engages the flange 18 and the other flanges defining the second body wall. The bead of adhesive material is simultaneously deformed so that the bead provides a continuous uninterrupted layer 26 of adhesive material adhesively securing the inner surface of the backlight 14 to the second body wall. The strip 24 provides a spacing means for spacing the inner surface of the backlight from the second body wall and additionally acts as a dam or restriction so that the bead of adhesive material is extruded outwardly of the body opening or towards the edge portion of the backlight after it first fills any voids between the bead and the strip 24.

Thereafter, the adhesive material is cured to efiectively 3, secure the backlight to the body. The manner in which the backlight is mounted on the body has been generally described herein, and if further details are necessary or of interest, reference may be had to Campbell et al. 3,155,- 204 and 3,155,422 and Coppock 3,241,277.

The specific adhesive material which may be used to successfully practice the invention is commercially available under the trade name of Weatherban. This material is a polysulfide base material having suitable fillers and solvents added thereto. It is heat curable and when cured, exhibits the properties of rubber in that it is capable of accepting shear stress, will not crack or corrode in various climates, and will wet both glass and painted metal.

The outer body reveal molding 28 is mounted on the body in a conventional manner, such as by clips.

It will be remembered that the center portion of the wall 16 is located at a greater height above the horizontal than the end portions thereof and that the wall is curved both transversely and longitudinally forwardly of the body. Thus, the water which collects on the center portion of the wall 16, intermediate the blocks 22, tends to flow outwardly toward the end portions thereof. The blocks 22 act as dams and prevent the water from so flowing outwardly of the body. Thus it is possible for rust problems to occur.

Since the spacer blocks 22 are necessary only until the adhesive material is cured, this invention forms the blocks 22 of water soluble Wax. Thus, once the adhesive material is cured, the blocks can be dissolved in situ shortly thereafter or the blocks will be gradually dissolved in service. Thus any dams or restrictions preventing the flow of water outwardly to the sides of the body along the wall 16 are removed and any conditions which might lead to rust problems at a later date are effectively prevented.

Although the invention has been shown and described in conjunction with a vehicle backlight, it can also be used with equal success on vehicle Windshields. The rust problem is particularly acute with vehicle Windshields and backlights since the lower wall of the opening is curved longitudinally rearwardly of the body in the windshield opening and longitudinally forwardly of the body in the backlight opening. Thus the Water tends to collect and remain on the wall 16 adjacent each of the spaced blocks rather than to flow either forwardlly or rearwardlly of the body from underneath the lower edge of the molding 28. It should be noted that the invention may also be used in other fixed vehicle windows even though the lower edge of the window opening may be relatively straight or may not be curved in more than one direction with respect to the body.

While the blocks 22 have been disclosed as being formed of water soluble wax, they may be formed of other water soluble materials provided that such materials are sufiicient to support the weight of the window until the adhesive is cured. There are several water soluble wax compounds commercially available which can be successfully used in this invention.

Thus, this invention provides an improved means of mounting fixed windows on vehicle bodies.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body having a closure opening therein, the lower edge portion of the opening being defined by a first wall having a center portion located at a greater height than the end portions thereof and by a second wall extending angularly to the first wall, the combination comprising, at least a pair of spacer means, eachbeing located at one of the end portions of said first wall and engaging both said first wall and said second wall, a panel closing said opening and having the lower edge portion thereof seated on said spacer means, means securing said panel to one of said walls, said spacer means acting as spaced dams and preventing water collected on said first wall therebetween from flowing past said spacer means and outwardly of said body at the end portions of said opening, said spacer means being formed of water soluble material and being dissolved to permitthe water collected therebetween to flow outwardly of the body along said first wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,291,680 8/1942 Billner 52127 X 2,657,447 11/1953 Pellanda. 2,659,124 11/1953 Henry. 3,241,277 3/1966 Coppock 29693 X BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

J. A. PEKAR, Asssistant Examiner. 

